Federal Bill to Protect State Marijuana Laws Reintroduced in Congress

Federal legislation that would protect state marijuana laws, and those following them, has been reintroduced in Congress.

Congressmember Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01) has reintroduced the State Marijuana And Regulatory ToleranceEnforcement Act – H.R. 3534 – which prohibits marijuana consumers and businesses from being prosecuted by the federal government if they are following their state’s marijuana law. The measure is similar to the Rohrabacher–Farr amendment, a currently in place law that prevents the Departure of Justice from interfering with state laws that have legalized medical cannabis, but would takes this a step further by protecting those in the eight states that have legalized the plant for recreational use.

“My bill will fix the conflict between state and federal law by giving states effectively regulating marijuana themselves, such as Washington, a waiver from the Controlled Substances Act.” Congressmember DelBene said in a statement. “It also resolves the banking issues currently forcing dispensaries to operate on an unsafe, all-cash basis.”

DelBene continues; “These waivers will ensure people in states that have different laws than the federal government on marijuana are protected from prosecution, provided they meet certain requirements, as more and more states work to regulate marijuana in their own borders. People in these states should not live in fear of the unpredictable actions of the Attorney General and Department of Justice.”

Anthony Martinelli

Anthony is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog. He has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for King County (WA) Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. He has been published by multiple media outlets, and is a former contributor for Village Voice Media.